In the Long Run

I had just passed the four-mile mark of my long run when I felt raindrops on my arm. I grimaced and hoped the rain remained a sprinkle because I had eleven more miles to go.

Suddenly, without warning, something furry whacked me on my left leg and I nearly fell. Startled, but still running, I looked down and saw nothing. Creepy, I thought. What kind of animal was that? Whomp! Something was attacking my heels, and this time I was forced to stop running to avoid a tumble.

The culprit was a frisky little puppy who had appeared out of nowhere, and now wanted to play. “Go home!” I ordered. He just cocked his head and looked at me expectantly. “Go!” I shouted, and pointed back in the direction where I thought his home must be.

The rain was coming down more forcefully now. I was just on the edge of town in a field overgrown with weeds, and had no desire to run in a deluge with a dog nipping at my heels. I walked, because I couldn’t run with the dog jumping up on me, about a block to a gas station and convenience store to wait out the storm.

Lil Pup followed me happily right up to the store, and then shook himself, spraying dog water over me. “Thanks,” I muttered in aggravation, cold and wet, and exasperated with the delay in my run. I’m not a big dog fan, but I could see that this little guy, with his pug nose and curly tail, was what many people would gush over and call “adorable.”

“I’m not responsible for you,” I scolded, “so scat!” I pointed out in the rain, and Lil Pup obediently darted out in the downpour a few yards, then ran right back up to me, where I cowered under the overhang of the store roof. OK, he was cute. And he was just a defenseless puppy, but what was I supposed to do about it? I fumed as I waited, and it continued to rain.

Lil Pup tried to befriend all of the customers filling up with gas. Most of them petted him, and spoke friendly, gushy puppy talk to him, but all of them drove away, sometimes with the dog chasing dangerously after their cars. It was still raining cats, and …dogs, and I was afraid Lil Pup was going to get hit by a car in the rain. He wore a collar, but had no identification tags.

Grrrrrr. I grumbled to myself, but I realized I was starting to feel responsible for the animal. After all, he had followed me several blocks from his home, and probably had no idea how to get back. Poor bedraggled little critter.

I went into the Red Eagle convenience store, and asked the clerks to call the Animal Shelter. Lil Pup managed to sneak in the door with an entering customer, and I smiled indulgently as the dog scurried down the snack aisle before the clerk caught him and wrestled him outside. The clerk seemed quite enchanted with the dog, and willing to attend to him until the animal control officer arrived.

The rain let up, and I decided to continue on my run. I left the store, with one last protective glance at Lil Pup. He was contentedly sniffing around the dumpster at the side of the store. With what I only can call unexpected, gushy puppy love, I honestly hoped he would safely make his way home to a happy and more vigilant owner.

Posted by Cyppy at 3:50 PM